Elena Potenza

Appointed 22 January 2024

Elena is the Managing Director of her own strategic advisory and consultancy business in infrastructure, serving both private and public sectors. With over 35 years of experience in the construction, property, transport, and infrastructure industries, she has held both Executive and Non-Executive Director positions.

Elena began her career as a Site Engineer and rose to Senior Executive roles in major ASX- listed companies, including (formerly) Lendlease Engineering and Leighton Contractors and currently as a Strategic Adviser to State Governments.

She has extensive experience in the development and commercial transaction management of a multi-billion-dollar portfolio in major civil infrastructure and property projects across Australia, involving Public Private Partnerships (PPP) and the structuring of International Joint Ventures. Her expertise spans both Private and Government sectors from Client, Developer, Contractor, and Asset perspectives.

A seasoned Board member, Elena has held key appointments including the Italian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI), NSW Government Advisory Council for the Minister for Women, Roads Australia, Taylor Construction and Ghella SpA. She also represented organisations on various major project Boards and is a regular guest speaker on Construction, Infrastructure, and Leadership.

Elena holds a Bachelor of Building (Hons) and a Master of Commerce (Land Economy), with additional Executive and Leadership certifications from INSEAD and Stanford University.

She was awarded Fellow of the Australian Institute of Building (AIB) and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Oceania (RICS).